How a Beach Bum makes ART

As long as I can remember I have loved the beach.

Whenever I could, I would get my feet in the ocean~no matter where, no matter how cold.

When I retired, I decided to live on the Gulf coast of Florida.

My goal: to become a beach bum.

As a beach bum, I have accomplished the following:

• learned how the beach changes from day to day
• learned the names of the various types of seaweed that washes onshore
• can spot schools of mullet, dolphins , manatees and manta rays
• can tell how hard the wind is blowing just by the feel of it
• have shell collections....not A collection but "collections"
• The list goes on, but that's another story!

 My shell obsession began before I actually moved to Florida. I used to vacation here, visiting my parents each October. For the week I was down, I would walk the beach and pick up shells. I started finding very tiny, perfect  shells. THAT was my first "collection".  For the week or 10 days I would gather shells, the tiny ones; then I decided to put them together in little groups~ I called them "beach sculptures".

On the last night of my visit, I would make the sculptures. I'd date them and spray them with clear acrylic and take them back to Colorado as souvenirs for friends. There are alot of friends who have one of these.

When I decided to stay in Florida, the real collecting got underway.....

The barnacle collection

The Lion's Paw collection

The Lightning Whelk collection

    The Black Collection                                                 The White Collection

The Yellow Collection

(not so easy to find)

The Key Hole Limpets

Before I put you totally asleep, I'll add one more

The FLAT shell collection

Several beach people look for flat shells(they are actually one-half of a scallop). They're hard to detect; usually covered with sand or hidden under other shells.  There was sort of an on-going competition to see who could find the most on a particular day.

I have even MORE collections but I think you get the idea. I like shells. 

But, they were beginning to take over the house and the lanai, I had to do something with them!

So Shell Projects began.

First was the "flat shell" project.   I had been collecting them for 2 years and figured I had enough to cover a table on the lanai.  It took about 5 days to complete this but it is "one of a kind"!

Next came "Shell Pots"...............

(again, something I learned from the "fairy godmother of crafters)

                                

The pot is at the right side of the shell filled succulent garden.

I made alot of pots, mostly with Rock Oysters, another collection.

Finally there is my "junk shell" art...these are the worn, broken shells ~the ones nobody picks up.  The only requirement for picking one of these up was there had to be a small hole in it.    WHY?

so that I could to string them.

                                                                                               Yes those are seahorses

So there you are, Beach Bum Art~ with shells (aka "beach treasures").